(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to disk storage devices, such as magnetic disk drives or magneto-optic disk devices. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a disk storage device having a mechanism for keeping a head part stationary in an eject mode.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
An magneto-optic storage device is known as a read/write storage device. In a read/write mode of the magneto-optic disk device, an optical head is moved in the radial directions of a storage disk by means of a linear actuator after the storage disk is loaded into the magneto-optic disk device. This linear actuator is composed of a pair of rod cores which run in the radial directions of the disk, a pair of coils wound around the pair of road cores, and a supporting base which is provided between the pair of coils and which supports the optical head. The optical head accommodates precision parts, such as a group of lenses of an optical system. In the read/write mode, a coil of the linear actuator is supplied with electricity. The optical head is moved along the rod cores due to a electromagnetic force derived from the coil. In this manner, a tracking operation is carried out.
The supporting base supporting the optical head is guided by guide shafts and moved along the rod cores by the linear actuator. After the storage disk is ejected from the disk storage device, the optical head is moved to an initializing position corresponding to an innermost track on the storage disk, and then supply of electricity to the coil is stopped. In this state, the optical head is free to move along the rod cores between the innermost and outermost tracks. In this state, if a vibration is applied to the disk storage device or the disk storage device is tilt, a large magnitude of force could be exerted on the optical head, and hence the optical head might forcibly fit against stoppers located at the innermost and outermost tracks. Hence, the precision parts of the optical system forming the optical head may be damaged.